UCSD Physics Degree Programs -

The Department of Physics offers curricula leading to the M.S. degree in physics, the Ph.D. in Physics, and the Ph.D. in physics/biophysics. A flexible program provides a broad, advanced education and at the same time gives students the opportunity to emphasize their special interests. This program consists of graduate courses, apprenticeship in research, teaching experience, and thesis research.

Entering graduate students are required to have a sound knowledge of undergraduate physics, including junior/senior level courses in classical mechanics and electricity/magnetism; in thermodynamics; and statistical mechanics; and in quantum physics; and to have taken upper-division laboratory courses.

Entering students are assigned a faculty adviser to guide them in their program. Many students spend their first year as teaching assistants or fellows and begin apprentice research in their second year. When a student's association with a research area and research supervisor is well established, a faculty research progress committee is formed with the responsibility of conducting an annual review of progress. After two years of graduate study, or earlier, students complete the departmental examinations and course requirements, and begin full-time thesis research.

Students specializing in Biophysics take courses in biology and chemistry during the first two years and complete the departmental course requirements and examinations by the end of their third year of graduate study. There is no foreign language requirement.

MASTER'S DEGREE PROGRAM

Requirements for the M.S. degree can be met by passing the Departmental Exam and obtaining credit in thirty-six units of course work (excluding seminars and research). Up to eight units of graduate work completed at another institution may be transferred with approval of the department and the Dean of Graduate Studies and Research.

ENTRANCE TESTING

An entrance test covering undergraduate physics is given to entering students during the first week of orientation to give better guidance to students in their graduate program. The results are not entered in the student's file. Entering students are encouraged to bring the results to the first meeting with their academic advisor. Entering students may elect to take the Departmental Examination instead of taking the Entrance Test.

REQUIREMENTS FOR THE PH.D.

Students are required to pass a departmental exam, advanced graduate courses, an oral topic examination, a qualifying examination, and a final defense of the thesis as described below.

1. Departmental Examination

Physics students are required to take the Department Examination after completing one year of graduate work at UCSD. The examination is on the level of material usually covered in upper-division undergraduate and first-year graduate courses in classical mechanics (200A,B), and classical electrodynamics (203A,B), equilibrium statistical mechanics (210A) , quantum mechanics (212A,B,C), and mathematical methods (201). [The numbers in parentheses are the corresponding first year courses.]

The examination is offered twice a year, at the beginning of the fall and spring quarters, and lasts two days, four hours per day. The examination may be repeated once the next time it is offered.

Biophysics students take this examination after completing two years of graduate work.

2. Advanced Graduate Courses

Physics students are required to take five advanced graduate courses (with a grade of C or better) from at least three of the groups listed below no later than the end of the third year of graduate work. A 3.0 average in four of the five courses is required. The recommended first year courses are excluded from the list of electives.

Group 1: (7 courses offered)

Plasma, Advanced Mechanics, Nonneutral plasmas, Nonlinear Plasma Theory

Group 2: (5 courses offered)

Nonequilibrium Statistical Mechanics, Solid State, Condensed Matter Lab., Advanced Solid State, Many-body Theory

Group 3: (7 courses offered)

Elementary particle, Particle and Fields, Advanced Elementary Particle Theory

Group 4: (7 courses offered)

Group Theory, Mathematical Physics, Geometrical Physics

Group 5: (7 courses offered)

Biophysics, X-ray Crystallography, Nuclear Physics, Atomic Physics, Relativity, Collision Theory

Group 6: (5 courses offered)

Stellar Physics, Interstellar Medium, Galaxies and Galactic Dynamics, Cosmology, High Energy Astrophysics and Compact Objects

Biophysics students select five courses from Biology, Biochemistry, Chemistry, or Physics in consultation with their adviser. At least three of these courses must be graduate courses. Physics courses are to be selected from Groups 1-6 listed above.

3. Oral Topic Examination

Physics students are required to take an oral topic examination the first time it is offered after passing the departmental examination. Three topics of current interest in Physics or Biophysics are announced two weeks prior to the examination week, and a list of relevant references is supplied. Students select one of the topics and present a one-half hour talk to a faculty examination committee. The oral presentation is followed by approximately 30-45 minutes of questioning generally related to the topic. This examination is offered twice a year, at the beginning of the fall and spring quarters, and may be repeated once the next time it is offered.

Biophysics students take this examination no later than the spring of the third year of graduate work.

4. Teaching

After passing the departmental examinations and course requirements and before completing a dissertation, students are required to participate in the teaching program by taking a total of not fewer than two units of Physics 500 (Physics Instruction). Each unit corresponds to approximately five hours per week for one quarter in laboratory sections, recitation sections, or problem sessions.

5. Qualifying Examination and Advancement to Candidacy

In order to be advanced to candidacy, students must have met the departmental requirements and obtained a faculty research supervisor. At the time of application for advancement to candidacy, a doctoral committee responsible for the remainder of the student's graduate program is appointed by the Graduate Council. The committee conducts the Ph.D. qualifying examination during which students must demonstrate the ability to engage in thesis research. Usually this involves the presentation of a plan for the thesis research project. The committee may ask questions directly or indirectly related to the project and questions on general physics which it determines to be relevant. Upon successful completion of this examination, students are advanced to candidacy and are awarded the Candidate of Philosophy Degree.

6. Thesis Defense

When students have completed their theses, they are asked to present and defend them before their doctoral committees.